In future, AU and Central Denmark Region will collaborate to ensure high-quality research at regional hospitals – to the benefit of patients.

In February 2012, Aarhus University and Central Denmark Region signed a ground-breaking agreement: a partnership that will benefit the university, the regional hospitals and society at large. The agreement will ensure that all hospitals in Central Denmark Region have departments involved in high-level international research that are specialised in particular areas. This will mean close links between research and the clinical situation to the benefit of the sick and injured.
’The agreement means that the quality of research at the regional hospitals will be improved. Better research will also mean better treatment of patients,’ says Kristjar Skajaa, head of the Department of Clinical Medicine. Ole Thomsen, managing director of Central Denmark Region, is also very optimistic about the new partnership.
’Both patients and hospital staff will benefit from this partnership. Patients will benefit from the increased level of research, because it’s necessary to do research to find new forms of treatment. Staff at the regional hospitals will experience positive effects from the partnership and the increase in research activity because this will contribute to a generally higher professional level and make the hospitals more attractive places to work.’

Good conditions for research

Aarhus University’s degree programme in medicine will also be improved as a consequence of the alliance with Central Denmark Region. In future, it will be easier for medical students to do point-of-care research, in close proximity to patients, because teaching hospitals and university clinics will be established: departments at the regional hospitals that are affiliated with the university.
’It’s a unique constellation that we at Aarhus University have established such a close relationship with Central Denmark Region in regard to the education of doctors. Medical students will also benefit from the improved research environments at the regional hospitals. According to Kristjar Skajaa, medical education rests on a foundation of science, and if the science is high-quality, teaching will be. He explains that the research performed at the regional hospitals will be extremely concrete and will focus on specific methods of treatment and medicines. That AU and Central Denmark Region have joined forces in the area of research will give research a boost, according to Ole Thomsen:
’The partnership will bring us much greater capacity to perform research, which means that we will be able to cultivate certain areas we haven’t prioritised that highly. In future, our treatment of our patients will be supported by a much stronger scientific foundation,’ he explains.

Quality without compromise

In Kristjar Skajaa’s view, one of the university’s most important missions is to safeguard a high standard of research quality. These standards will remain unchanged when research takes place at the regional hospitals.
’It’s essential that we maintain our quality standards at the regional hospitals. When you work in these kinds of partnerships, compromising on the quality of the research isn’t part of the agreement. The same standards for scientific quality must apply to research at the regional hospitals as it does to research at the university.’ The partnership agreements with the region are, according to Kristjar Skajaa, a significant dimension of what it means to be a university.
’I see this as a important aspect of our goal of exchanging knowledge with the society we belong to. The more the university gets out and gets involved in the world outside, the better. After all, we’re funding by taxpayers’ money, and with this partnership, we’re giving something in return – beyond a doubt. ‘